Sunrise at Terlingua ghost town cemetery

The Terlingua Cemetery was established in 1902 in what is now called Terlingua Ghost Town, located between Big Bend Ranch State Park and Big Bend National Park.

Federico Villalba, a pioneer who settled in the area, is buried here.

Many of the falling crosses and piles of rocks are the graves of miners who were working the cinnabar/mercury mines 1890-1930. A flu epidemic in 1918 also helped fill the small cemetery.

A marker for Kathleen Grace Barnett, March 3, 1993-Feb. 16, 1997

Some of the rusty nails spelling out the name and words are missing.

The site is still used by local residents for burials. And in November there is Day of the Dead ceremony. During the same week the famous annual chili cook-off is held.

A neighborhood dog trots through the cemetery to check out visitors.